Cooking can be utterly stressful as it is tedious and often results in an underwhelming homemade concoction of food. Let’s face it, not everyone is the Rachel Ray of their kitchen. Many can barely follow directions in a cookbook, let alone read. Some just lack the passion or creativity to prepare an enjoyable meal and some are simply too lazy. The natural solution is to simply go out to eat. Restaurants are generally welcoming places that provide for pleasurable dining experiences for those who wish to avoid the perils of cooking. People often look to have a carefree social hour complimented by an appetizing meal. An entertaining atmosphere, impeccable service, and of course delectable food all cater to great dining experiences; although, regardless of the quality of these components, other customers can spoil the overall experience. They can overshadow any pleasant qualities of a restaurant, detracting from the overall enjoyment of a meal. These obnoxious “distractions” are none other than the people who need to get a room, those who had one too many to drink, and the family who brilliantly decided to bring their unmannered children.

Taking that special someone to a dinner complimented by a movie is quite the stereotypical date night for any couple of any background. Eating out with them is a fundamental component of any relationship. It is simple, easy, and provides the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time and get to know an individual; yet some couples seemingly neglect the fact that they are not in private. Many feel the need to get rather intimate in front of a crowd for all to see. People go to a restaurant to enjoy delicious food without the visuals of two lovebirds making out. Watching people lock mouths and savor each other while you are simultaneously savoring a mouthful of perfectly tasteful food is not appetizing to the eyes. Instead, it evokes an uncomfortable and displeasing feeling that is not conducive to an enjoyable meal. Not to mention the thousands of “selfies” they take which are apparently necessary to capture every millisecond of two love-struck romantics’ night out together. This compulsion leaves everyone in their vicinity blinded since they lack the common decency to suppress the camera flash. It is utterly annoying to see them taking pictures until they get the coveted “perfect one.” The one where both parties are moderately satisfied with the way they smile despite only moving mere fractions of an inch from the previous take. Does it really make that much of a difference? This is the one that goes straight to their social networking sites to brag to their jealous single friends about their so-called endless love for each other. Things get more pathetic as they continue their ritualistic photo shoot when their meal arrives, acting like paparazzi to their food. It is understandable to snap a picture of an admirable presentation of a dish but taking several shots from every possible angle of your appetizers, entrees, desserts and a glass of water is obnoxiously excessive. The accumulation of these rather annoying distractions provided by these helpless romantics would make anyone dread sitting near them.

When it comes to sitting near the bar of a restaurant, you cannot help but notice the immature social group who surely have had one too many to drink. This rowdy bunch typically consists of around four or five testosterone filled college graduates on their night off who really know how offset the noise level in what is supposed to be a rather mannered establishment; they bring the restaurant to life, but not in a welcoming way. Every word that comes out of this pack is bellowed for all to hear. Each one tries to up the other in terms of volume. There is nothing like trying to dig into a delicious entrée with a side of somebody’s life story. Round after round, drink after drink; one would think they had enough. Their breath reeks of liquor as they recklessly swing their glasses about. Cussing becomes frequent and parents begin covering the ears of their rather amused children. They often become more full of themselves and feel the need to declare their already asserted presence. At this point you begin to question the bartender’s decision to keep serving them or utter neglect to even remove them from the premises. These mindless young men are obviously enjoying their stay a bit too much and are disrupting the civilized customers. However rowdy their antics may be, you cannot help but hope for everyone else’s sake that they have a designated driver to take their irresponsible tails home, where they should be.

Home is where infants should remain yet some ingenious parents beg to differ and brilliantly decide to drag them along to a nice sit-down restaurant. People go to these types of restaurants to lounge and enjoy a meal in a casual ambience without having to have their ears bleed. Restaurants are supposed to evoke your sense of taste more so than your hearing. Alarming series of high-pitched shrieks coming from a near imploding baby leaves customers in dire need of hearing aids. It is actually astonishing how such a small thing can clear an entire room. Meanwhile, the parents are completely oblivious the fact that their child is having a full-blown meltdown despite receiving threatening glares from everyone within the their proximity. The parents are really to blame for all of it; they were asking for trouble as soon as they walked in the doors with their child. What possessed them to even contemplate bringing this portable noise machine? They should have been considerate enough to provide earplugs to the entirety of the restaurant before brining in such a rascal. Obnoxious distractions like such an infant, a rowdy crowd of drinkers, and an overly affectionate couple bring misery to restaurant goers and detract from the overall dining experience. Perhaps it is better off eating in after all.